Local government workers in Osun State resumed work yesterday, after an eight-month shutdown, but attendance across most council secretariats remained low.
The local government workers in Osun have withdrawn services citing insecurity following the crisis that ensured between the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on who should take control of the council after the Court of Appeal ruling.
The standoff left many council offices under lock and key, crippling local governance for months.
Tensions began to ease recently after the Federal Government formally recognised reinstated APC chairmen and released six months of previously withheld allocations to local governments under their control.
While some union leaders had insisted the strike should continue, a group of workers led by Comrade Adedayo Adekunle last week called for an end to the impasse, describing the industrial action as counterproductive.
Checks across several council areas, including Boripe, Orolu, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Ayedire, and Ilesa West, showed a few workers trickling back to their duty posts under tight security presence.
Chairman of Olorunda Local Government, Hon. Kunle Kudaisi, dismissed reports that his council had been completely inactive during the strike.
“We have been attending to our assignments, but today marks NULGE’s official resumption, as you can see some of the members around,” he told reporters.
Kudaisi explained that the low turnout was partly due to workers visiting the state secretariat to collect promotion letters, adding that both political office holders and some union members were already back to work.
He appealed to other workers to resume duties, assuring them that the environment was safe and conducive for normal operations.
A worker at Olorun LGA named Kuburat Aderemi expressed joy over the resumption saying that “the closure of councils made us not have access to cooperative, deductions among others. There is no insecurity at the council, I enjoy other workers resuming duty.”
Also, the LG chairman of Ifelodun, Hassan Kamo welcomed workers to the council, stating that “civil servants are landlords of LGAs secretariats while we, politicians are tenants, I am glad to see them resuming after 8 months.”
Boripe Council Chair, Sikiru Odebunmi, reiterated his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of workers under his administration.
Attempts to speak with the APC factional Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria(APC), Abiodun Idowu, was abortive as he refused to pick up his calls and respond to text messages sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.
